Getting ReadyMature

I yawned and got one of the 'looks' from Boss. I could feel a lecture coming on from him and braced myself for it. "The SIS doesn't accept fatigue during working hours Max," he boomed in his deep voice. It was when Briony yawned from beside me did he sigh and give up.

"Sorry," we both muttered simultaneously, exchanging secret smiles by the look that crossed Boss's face.

"Alright you two, get going," he grunted, pushing us out of the room. "There's no use going on a mission if you're going to pass out halfway through it," he muttered the last bit to himself but meant to say it loud enough for me and Briony to hear. We both snickered as we walked out the building and into my car.

"Where to?" I asked and Briony shrugged in response.

"What about my place?" She asked.

"Meh..." By the murderous look that crossed her face, I quickly changed my answer. "I mean your place is great. It's the best. But considering mine being closer, and the fact that both of us really need to hit the bed..."

She changed her mind (thank God) by the time I finished, nodding. Sighing happily, I started the engine and whirred off towards the direction of my apartment. I turned on the radio which automatically tuned to a channel playing soft classical music. Deciding that was boring for my taste, I flicked through and turned the volume up a little higher when I heard a heavy rock metal song come through.

"Ugh Max, you suck."

"If my interest in music pleases you this much, I'd like to take it as a compliment," I said with a grin and Briony groaned in response.

"Maximus," she warned with a tone I did not like and a name I preferred not to hear.

"Alright, alright." I turned off the radio and slumped back against my seat, feeling slightly grumpy. The rest of the ride was silence as we arrived in front of my apartment complex in only a minute. Briony looked exhausted as I helped her out the car. She followed me like a zombie as we headed up the building and towards the third floor on the elevator, her leaning against me in exhaustion. When we reached my apartment and got in, I led her to a spare guest room and she fell back against the bed, falling asleep immediately.

Sighing, I tucked her into the covers and looked at her for a second. Briony looked at peace as she slept, the stress lines from earlier off her forehead as a smile played on her lips. Her brown hair was untidy but that only made her look more innocent and cute. On a sudden impulse, I leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

The fact that she didn't notice this was the most comforting thought I had as I made my way through the rest of the night, wondering why the hell I'd just done that.

*

The alarm clock ticked me off a few hours later and I groaned, sitting up on the bed. I'd barely gotten a few hours of sleep and felt quite exhausted. Like Boss had said, the chances of me falling asleep halfway through the mission felt high as I roamed around the apartment lazily, trying to find my way to the kitchen in a half-sleep stance.

"Good morning."

Briony sounded quite cheerful as she smiled at me, sitting down on the couch with a mug of coffee in her hand. She patted the seat next to her and my eyes flickered to the table top upon which was another mug. Great, caffeine would be great now.

Sitting down next to her, I started taking slow and long sips out of the mug as she watched me, curious.

"The beds are quite comfortable here." I started coughing when she said this, gulping down the coffee much too quickly. She watched me, amused before grinning and saying, "You're right. My apartment is a shitload compared to this."

"Finally you agree with me," I said back with a smile. "We should get ready now, we're already quite late."

"That's because I set your alarm off a little. You looked like you needed the sleep."

I stared at her when she said this, feeling quite surprised. "Well...thanks then."

"No prob."

With that both of us got up and headed off to our respective rooms. I took a quick shower and got changed into jeans and a t-shirt; something that struck me as inconspicious. We both met out in the living room at the same time and without a word, headed out the apartment.

Soon, I was driving Briony off to her own apartment which was only a few minutes away from mine with the speed I was going at. She would need her car on this mission and we'd already both decided where we would be headed; her to a bank, and me to the 'den'.

I pulled up in front of her car and she got out, heading towards her own. We both drove out her compound at the same time, and I cut in front of her before she could speed off.

"Be careful," I said with a small smile showing concern.

"Always am partner," she joked back and I grinned before driving off in the opposite direction.

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